CL South student's death investigated

CRYSTAL LAKE – Police are investigating the death of a teenager found in a Crystal Lake home Sunday morning, according to the Crystal Lake Police Department.

Officers were called to a home in the 600 block of Grand Canyon Circle on Sunday morning for a report of a person dying in the home, Cmdr. Dan Dziewior said.

The person did not live there.

He refused to elaborate on the incident or the investigation.

The victim has been identified as Stephanie R. Chiakas, 17, of Lake in the Hills. She was a junior at Crystal Lake South High School.

Court records show that Chiakas had a pending drug case with a scheduled court appearance on Thursday.

According to the criminal complaint in October, she had less than 15 grams of a substance containing heroin, as well as less than 2.5 grams of marijuana and a grinder.

Support services were being offered to students at Crystal Lake South this week, District 155 spokesman Jeff Puma said. A letter also was sent to parents Monday with a list of external agencies for grief counseling.

“Stephanie, who was very mature and creative for her age, was known for her leadership and cooking skills, loving and responsible nature, and her love for animals and gardening,” her obituary reads. “She excelled in school and enjoyed hangin’ with the crew.”

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office is responsible for determining the cause of death. No one from the coroner’s office was available for comment Tuesday.

The visitation will be from 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave., Crystal Lake.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday. The burial will follow at All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Des Plaines.

Chiakas is survived by her parents, Kenneth and Sheri, and her sister, Alicia.